I've said it before but I'm going to say it again here.

There are certain characteristics of the #StaffordshireBullTerrier (Staffy), the #BullTerrier (Bully), the #AmericanPitBullTerrier (APBT), and #AmericanStaffordshireTerrier (AmStaff), that other #breeds just don't have.

All #dogs have more intelligence than people give them credit for. But #Bully's, #Staffy's, #APBT's, and #AmStaff's have a special kind of #tenacity and #stubbornness that's difficult not to love.

These dogs just want to love and be loved. They want to be part of our everyday lives, and in the middle of the minutia of it.

I've Got You
Image by @alliski f/5.6 1/100sec ISO-11400 SM-G930V

Chloe, for example, tries to crawl up my ear hole and nose. She can't stand it when I'm working because my chair simply isn't big enough to fit her tubby butt and mine at the same time.

That being said…

These breeds aren't for everybody. Some of their #personalitytraits are as #strong as they are. There are a few things to keep in mind before committing the next 12 or so years to one of these dogs.

Strength of Body

Bully's, Staffy's, APBT's, and AmStaff's are physically strong. One of the sports these breeds often take part in is pulling.

They excel at this sport for a few different reasons.

• They have Zero quit in them
• They have the upper body strength mixed with the build they need to leverage their strength
• They're eager to please
• They have the energy
• Their Tenacity is unmatched

These dogs are super eager to please their people and the crowd around them. So, anytime they're competing, all that attention and energy from the audience gives them the drive and desire to compete.

What a Treat
Image by @alliski

But, it's the part about the strength, build, and energy you should focus on.

These dogs have the physical ability to drag you along like a rag doll during a walk.

It's that simple.

Bully's, Staffy's, AmStaff’s, and APBT's are #highenergy #breeds. These are not dogs that you can shove off into the backyard and expect everything to be hunky-dory. When dogs, of any breed, do not get the exercise they need or the attention they deserve they act out- and rightfully so.

Granted, these #dogs can be the laziest thing you've ever seen, and impossible to rouse from a nap, but they need #exercise.

They also need #attention and #affection from their humans, as well as the chance to socialize with other dogs.

As I said, these dogs thrive on love and attention.

Conversely, they spiral without it.

Strength of Personality

When you adopt your Staffy, Bully, AmStaff, or APBT ensure that you like her #personality.

These aren't dogs that you can #bully around. They need #training and enjoy it because it gives them the opportunity to please their humans.

However, no amount of training will alter a dog’s essential personality.

Chloe insists on walking daily and putting me through a 3-hour bedtime process every night. I accept these as part of her personality.

Read about that process here:

She loves #sunbathing and #children but has a hard time with other dogs. She has a domineering personality that drives her need to always be the #boss. Other dogs and their humans tend to take exception to that.

My dog Deuce wasn’t like that. He was #laid-back and #chill. He didn't like men in uniform, or people who wore hats, but otherwise he was chill. It didn't matter if he was introduced to small #Chihuahua, a behemoth of a #Chow-chow, a #Puppy, a #Cat, an #adult human, or a #human #child. All he knew was that he had a new #friend, and he was gentle with them.

My Light
Image by @alliski taken in the fall of 2009.

He was also an 85-pound AmStaff and a pain in the ass to walk.

It didn't matter what I did, or the training he received. When we walked, he'd get out to the end of his lead and pull. He liked pulling and it drove me nuts. Fortunately, he wasn’t reactive. He didn’t chase after prey animals, or things that were running. If I let go of his leash, he’d stop and look at me like,

What’s going on?

He also loved to chew up plastic bottles for some reason, while Chloe is terrified of plastic bottles.

My point is this

These dogs are #strong in character and body. It takes a strong person to return the #love they give. This isn't because you must dominate them and show the dog who's boss. It's because you must be able to accept their #strength, #kisses, and #noxiousgas.

Yea, #dogfarts are bad, but these dogs give that a whole new standard.

Chloe knows how to walk on her leash properly. She's well trained so when I say that she requires a firm hand, what I mean is that what she needs from me is consistency in her walks.

We #walk every day. She stays to my left for safety and doesn't pull. When she pulls, I don’t yank back or get mad at her. I simply stop walking and calmly wait for her to correct #dysfunctional #behavior.

Chloe can get out of her ID collar, both her walking and riding #harness, her #ZenCollar and her #e-collar. She has chewed through more than one #muzzle. Those that can't be chewed through she can get off. She has chewed through and removed gentle leaders, #sweaters she doesn't like, any handkerchief she finds disagreeable, and her boots. She's capable of getting out of a fenced yard and has proven that no door can keep her locked inside or out. Despite all our attempts to prevent her from doing so, she's also capable of getting out of her #crate.

As a matter of fact, this morning when I woke up Chloe was upstairs.

For some context:

I sleep with my bedroom doors locked. I’m so paranoid about this that Scott locks the bedroom doors before he leaves, or he hears about it when he gets home. There are no mirrors in my bedroom, and all of the windows are blacked out while I sleep.
It’s a really long story that I’ll consider telling later.
Anyway, my husband is going to hear about how he didn’t lock the bedroom door this morning before he left, because when I woke up, Chloe was upstairs sunbathing in front of the sliding door that goes out to the deck. I remember Scott closing the door this morning because the sound of the door moving always wakes me up. The door latched closed.

Basically,

If she stays put, on her #lead, or #behaves on a #walk it's because she chooses to.

If that's not the definition of a #well-behaved and good dog, then no definition will suffice.

If you find accepting this definition of a good dog troubling or difficult, then please trust me when I say that you're not a good match for Bully, Staffy, AmStaff, and APBT breeds.

On the other hand, if you can commit to these #intense, zero chill, #zoomie having, strong in body and personality, dogs that have the ability to clear a building with their #farts then you have an adventure waiting for you.

There's Adventure Out There. I Can Smell It.
Image by @alliski f/1.7 1/890sec ISO-50 SM-G930V

Chloe and Deuce have both proven to me that these dogs are #fierce, #loving, and #strong. It takes people who are just as fiercely loving to give them the homes they deserve.

I suppose this is why Pit-bull moms and dads prove intolerant of #BSL and its complementary #fuckery.

Complementary Fuckery
Image by @alliski February 2015 f/29 1/200sec ISO-400 Canon EOS Digital Rebel